Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Official GDB All-Star Squads

Here at GDB we call it like we see it. Therefore, when we came together to select our all-star squads we were brutally honest in our decision making. Popularity got you nowhere, neither did past success. We are looking for the best players in the NBA regardless of reputations. Our squads will probably differ from the actual East and West teams, but rest assured that our selected teams better represent which players have been the best this year so far.

Eastern Conference

STARTERS

G- Chauncey Billups - Mr. Big Shot has averaged 18 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists while leading the Pistons to the 2nd best record in the East. One of the most consistent and reliable players in the entire NBA, Billups is helping to make this the most dangerous Pistons squads in years.

G-LeBron James - We took some liberty at putting King James at the shooting guard spot, but there is no denying how incredible he has been this year. With averages of 29-7-7 and 2 steals while shooting close to 50 percent from the field, James is certified MVP material.

F-Caron Butler - Nobody gave the Wiz much of a chance to contend without Agent Zero. But thanks in large part to the Holy Caron, the Wiz find themselves well above .500, with victories over the Celtics and Mavericks in recent weeks. 21-6-4-2, 48% from the field, 90% from the line shows how complete a player he has become.

F-Kevin Garnett - We all knew The Big Ticket would make a huge difference in Boston, but it is incredible how quickly the metamorphosis occurred. From day one its been his team, and its because of him that they have gotten off to the best record in the league. KG is averaging his typical 20 and 10, and is shooting an amazing 55 percent from the field.

C-Dwight Howard - Simply the most dominant physical force in the NBA. With numbers per game like 22 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, you can pencil D Howard in this spot for the next 10 years without hesitation.

BENCH

G-Jason Kidd - While the Nets are one of the most dissapointing teams in the NBA, you can't blame it on Kidd. He's averaging 11-8-10, which puts him dangerously close to Oscar Robertson territory.

G-Joe Johnson - Very quietly, the Hawks have become a competitive team. And very quietly, Joe Johnson has become one of the most well-rounded players in the NBA. 21-4-5 looks nice, and his leadership is helping a young team mature before our eyes.

G-Dwyane Wade - Probably the most controversial decision on our roster. The Heat have been absolutely terrible, but since coming back from injury D-Wade has been good as always. He'll probably have an even bigger second half and make our doubts about putting him on the team look even more bogus.

F-Paul Pierce - The Truth has been reborn with the arrival of KG and his play has been markedly improved. 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.5 steals show that he's been a great team player and doing everything he can to bring the Celtics success.

F-Gerald Wallace - Probably the most underrated player in the league. Wallace was always an amazing athlete which helped him become one of the best defensive players in the league, but now his offense has caught up to that level. Put it this way, the Suns would trade Shawn Marion for this guy straight up, and not blink an eye.

F-Antawn Jamison - Another player having a great season under the radar. A double-double guy who can shoot the three, Jamison along with Butler has been indispensible in the Wizards surprise success.

C-Chris Bosh - Not only was his commercial a stroke of genius, but Bosh has the game to back it up. 22 and 9 while shooting 48 percent from the field make him one of the best big men in the game today.

G-Steve Nash -One of the toughest decisions for the committee was choosing who should be the starting PG for the west. We gave it to Nash because he still means so much to the Suns and is playing better than ever before with stats like 17 points and 12 assists per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field

G-Kobe Bryant - Kobe's been as good as ever this year while shooting less. His ability to make his teammates better while still averaging 27-6-5-2 gives even more evidence that he is the best in the game.

F-Carlos Boozer - Booze Cruise has become a certified superstar in this league. He's shooting 54 percent from the field and is averaging 22 and 10 per game and never takes a game off.

F-Tim Duncan - His stats may be down this year, but in no way does that mean he's having an off year. This guy simply knows how to play, and will continue to be the most complete big man in the game for years to come.

C-Marcus Camby - Its about time for the sports community to give props to the criminally underrated Camby. His defensive efforts of 15 rebounds and 4 blocks per game are tops in the league and have allowed AI and Melo to focus on their offense.

BENCH

G-Chris Paul - Quite possibly the most exciting player in the NBA. CP3 is the main reason the Hornets have vaulted into the NBA's upper echelon, thanks to his averages of 21-3-10 and almost 3 steals per game

G-Allen Iverson - Another great season for the Answer. Not only is he averaging 27 ppg still, but he is shooting at a better clip than usual while helping to push the Nuggets to the Northwest Division lead.

G-Baron Davis - The ringleader of the most exciting team in the NBA. When Davis is healthy, he is nearly unstoppable, as evidenced by last spring's playoff run and his averages this year of 22-4-8 and 2.5 steals per game

G-Manu Ginobili - A flat-out winner. Manu is still doing his thing averaging near 20-5-5, and even though the Spurs seem more vulnerable, they are still close to having the top record in the West.

F-Shawn Marion - Quite possibly the most versatile player in the game. The Matrix has the talent to fill up every stat category while being the only player on the Suns who plays any sort of defense.

F-Dirk Nowitzki - No one is really mentioning the Mavericks this season after last season's playoff disgrace, but Dirk as usual is busy leading his team to another 50 win season.

F-Brandon Roy - The Blazers have been the surprise team in the NBA to this point, surviving and thriving in the brutal west despite not having their top draft pick Greg Oden. Much of this success can be attributed to Roy, who's averaging 19-4-5 and providing the leadership that a young team needs.